Not many footballers are granted personal leave halfway through a season to jet set around Europe.

But Alex Johnson isn’t like many footballers.

Johnson, 23, is one of the most touching stories in the AFL – a tale of success, heartbreak, persistence and what the Sydney Swans hope is triumph.

Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh highlighted, in a speech earlier this season, Johnson’s will and the fact his injury-ridden teammate has never complained.

Anyone could forgive him for deploring his next rehab session.

Johnson achieved every young footballer’s dream by winning a premiership when the then 20-year-old, after playing 45 consecutive games, played a starring role in the 2012 flag.

Little did the dashing half-backman know that afternoon would be his last AFL match since, well, his next one which won’t come for quite some time yet.

“It seems like a lifetime ago since we won that premiership,” Johnson said on Fox Footy’s Open Mike.

Johnson ruptured his ACL in a practice match during the 2013 pre-season and has battled recurring knee issues which have prompted several operations, a further two knee reconstructions and a third scheduled for this month.

Johnson will miss the entire 2016 season, marking a total of four years out of the game.

“You come to terms with the fact I was going to miss the rest of the year,” Johnson said.

“But you never think it will go any longer.”

Of all current day players, the record amount of time to pass between AFL games is held by Geelong’s Josh Cowan who had to wait three years and 288 days between his third game (Round 4, 2011) and fourth game (Round 4, 2015)

When (or if) Johnson returns, that record will be smashed and cap off what would prove to be a remarkable comeback.

Johnson is determined to play again just as, after recently returning from trip overseas “to refresh the mind”, much as he’s determined to tackle another stint in rehab and triumph.

For more on Johnson’s amazing story, tune into Fox Footy’s Open Mike episode above.